About

Growing businesses need a strategic ﬁnance partner to support and manage growth. We are a Boston-based firm providing part-time CFO services that blend strategic thinking with tactical execution in the ﬁnance function. We help drive better decision-making and accountability in your business, so you can get to your next milestone.

Management Reporting

FOCUS + URGENCY + ACCOUNTABILITY

Our team knows that successfully growing a business requires focus and urgency. As a business grows it becomes more difficult to concentrate on the right things needed to excel. In our role, we drive a new level of accountability from the top down helping the business to remain on course. Together we develop a clear and executable strategy for the business. We then create an action plan with deadlines designed to achieve the strategic goals. Finally, through timely and relevant management reporting, we track progress through a continuous review of the “state of the state.”

A FRAMEWORK FOR DECISION-MAKING

Through our work with hundreds of businesses, we have developed effective decision tools to frame many of the important decisions that face a growing company. By concentrating on the essential criteria for effective decision-making, we validate the invaluable sixth sense of the entrepreneur – his or her “gut.” Whether it is expansion planning, measuring sales and marketing effectiveness, modeling the right employee mix, or compensation incentives to maximize profits, we have the tools to help.

Exploring An Exit

OFFERING HIGHLIGHTS

Strategic Thinking:

Reporting and Analytics

Financial reporting packages

Dashboards

Business intelligence

Benchmarking

Optimization Planning

Develop roadmap for max value

Acquisition/divestiture issues

Align goals through compensation

PLUS

Tactical Execution:

Cash Flow Management

Optimize cash conversion cycle

Build fortress balance sheet

Extensive budgeting and forecasting

Integration / Standardization

A WELL-OILED MACHINE

We believe every business has the ability to run like a well-oiled machine: A balanced team consistently executing repeatable business processes for an exceptional customer experience. We help you to create a roadmap and then roll up our sleeves to implement the solution. More than just an exercise in accounting and finance, we will perform a thorough assessment of the entire organization to identify and address strengths and weaknesses.

UNLOCKING HIDDEN VALUE

Whenever change occurs in a business, there is an opportunity to unlock additional business value. Whether it is orchestrating a turnaround, preparing for a business exit, integrating an acquisition or simply improving operations, our team has the experience to deliver. By leveraging our functional expertise, we concentrate on the tactical implementation that will determine success.

You’ve set the vision and plan to drive your company forward. You need a finance function who thinks forward, too. We understand timely, forward-looking insights into financial data are critical to help you scale your business. We maintain an intense focus on continuously bridging strategic insights with tactical execution because we believe a clear and executable strategy, together with disciplined follow-through, helps your business stay on course. From day one, we manage the finance function around its core duty - to inform management decision-making.

We work with venture-backed and private companies who are in the “managing growth” and “exploring an exit” phase of growth. Our part-time CFO services offer a blend of strategic expertise and tactical support at a fraction of the cost of full-time resources.

Getting ResultsIs What Matters

Client Success:Keating Associates

The Importance of Timely and Accurate Financial Reporting for a Growing Marketing Agency

Challenge

Keating Associates is a proactive consulting and creative services company that transforms academic marketing. They partner with colleges, universities, and schools to translate institutional goals and student insights into actionable marketing programs and results-driven, creative communications.

In order to provide the breadth of integrated services clients need, Keating Associates combines its own employees with the “Keating network” of best-of-breed partners, vendors and specialists to deliver the right team against a given project scope. Based on this service model, Keating Associates faced a key challenge: how do we better manage out-of-pocket expenses and reduce the strain placed on the working capital of our company?

Action

Verge Advisors partnered with Keating Associates, a client since 2009, to deliver part-time CFO services, combining strategic thinking with tactical execution, in order to attack this challenge.

Verge Advisors implemented a plan focused on decreasing Keating Associates’ cash conversion cycle (the time from when a service is performed to when cash is received).

In addition, we streamlined the job costing and accounts payable (AP) processes. The frequency of AP related to media, one of the largest areas of spend, was increased.

We instituted systems to manage the range of project types, from ad hoc to complex.

Results

With greater financial visibility and a more disciplined and comprehensive AP process, Keating Associates continues to successfully offer its clients a wide range of integrated services, while maintaining an adequate level of cash.

Insight:Is Growth KillingYour Company?

Insight:Financial Due Diligence -10 Tips For Readiness

Read OurCore Values

OUR CORE VALUES
SUPPORT OUR WAY OF WORKING WITH YOU.

WE BELIE​VE IN...

Focus: Concentrate on the right thingsUrgency: Don’t let it waitLoyalty: Treat founders like familyClarity: Speak truth and inform decisionsGenerosity: Help others by sharing skills and resourcesIdealism: Believe in better

What good are the numbers if they don’t distill relevant insights to support your growth? Adding strategic value to your organization, together with “roll-up-your-sleeves” execution, is where we excel. Whether it’s helping you improve operations or prepare for an exit, we combine the rigor and follow-through needed to support your path to success.

Browse our collection of insights, customer stories and more to learn more about our way of thinking and how we can help with part-time CFO services.

A Team FocusedOn Your Performance

Jonathan IannaconeFounder and CEO

For over a decade, Jonathan has been providing CFO and controllership services to diverse companies from early stage startups to larger privately held businesses. He specializes in advising the management teams of organizations that are experiencing significant growth.

His unique professional background includes diversified consultative engagements in the areas of internal controls, forensic accounting, business valuation, customized financial reporting, and capital allocation strategies. Jonathan also began his career as an auditor for Deloitte. By applying this cumulative knowledge from various accounting disciplines he is able to drive and implement scalable growth solutions.

Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame. He is a Certified Public Accountant, and his affiliations include: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, MA State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Certified QuickBooks Proadvisor.

Peter WernauBoard Advisor

Peter is the founder of Wernau Asset Management, where he serves as the firm’s portfolio manager and CEO.

Mr. Wernau has co-founded several other complimentary financial services firms, including Apricot Capital LLC and Back Bay Mortgage Brokers LLC. He participates as an advisor, mentor and angel investor in the technology and mobile industries.

His investments have included OnSwipe, Crashlytics, Peekaboo Mobile, Awe.sm, TribeHR, Kinvey, and several other emerging mobile and technology businesses.

In addition to being named 5 Star Wealth Manager in Boston Magazine for 2010, 2011 and 2012, Mr. Wernau also serves on the Board of Trustees of Rockport Music. He was also appointed in 2006 by Gov. Mitt Romney and re-appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick in 2008 to serve two terms on the board of the Massachusetts Children’s Trust fund.

Peter is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accountancy and has passed the Series 65 exam.